the Pope, and from the Pope to the King again, and so on. And the months
and the years went by as they waited, and with them came no child to the
Manor House of Beaugard. That was the only sad thing--that and the
waiting, so far as man could see. For never were man and woman truer to
each other than these, and never was a lady of the Manor kinder to the
poor, or a lord freer of hand to his vassals. He would bluster
sometimes, and string a peasant up by the heels, but his gallows was
never used; and, what was much in the minds of the people, the Cure did
not refuse the woman the sacrament.

"At last the Baron, fierce because he knew that Bigot was the cause of
the great delay, so that he might not call Falise his wife, seized a
transport on the river, which had been sent to brutally levy upon a poor
gentleman, and when Bigot's men resisted, shot them down. Then Bigot
sent against Beaugard a company of artillery and some soldiers of the
line. The guns were placed on a hill looking down on the Manor House
across the little river. In the evening the cannons arrived, and in the
morning the fight was to begin. The guns were loaded and everything was
ready. At the Manor all was making ready also, and the Baron had no
fear.

"But Falise's heart was heavy, she knew not why. 'Eugene,' she said, 'if
anything should happen!' 'Nonsense, my Falise,' he answered; 'what
should happen?' 'If--if you were taken--were killed!' she said.
'Nonsense, my rose,' he said again, 'I shall not be killed. But if I
were, you should be at peace here.' 'Ah, no, no!' said she. 'Never.
Life to me is only possible with you. I have had nothing but you--none
of those things which give peace to other women--none. But I have been
happy-yes, very happy. And, God forgive me, Eugene, I cannot regret, and
I never have! But it has been always and always my prayer that, when you